Madhouse
by Brennan4
Summary: Fresh off their victory on the Watchtower, the Team is sent to investigate an eccentric fashion designer named Mad Mod. COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

Robin woke up with a smile on his face. He moved his head off of the comfy headrest and looked out of the Bioship's window to see the smooth grass of the English countryside. He didn't like to sleep on the way to a mission, but given that they were crossing the entire Atlantic ocean he didn't mind. Besides, he and the rest of the Team had pulled an all-nighter stopping Vandal Savage from brainwashing the Justice League just three days ago. He smiled as he remembered the battle on the Watchtower. At the Team had proven themselves, proven that they weren't just kids who needed their mentors to coddle them.

M'gann said, "Look everyone, we're almost here!"

A gaudy modern mansion poked out from behind a hill. Sun gleamed off the many glass windows and illuminated a strange coloration of red and blue bricks. This was the home of their target, an eccentric fashion designer named Neil Richards, known in magazines as Mad Mod. Scotland Yard had suspected that he had been communicating with Vandal Savage, but could not do anything as Savage's crimes were outside their jurisdiction. They had contacted the Justice League, who sent the Team on a reconnaissance mission.

"How much do you think that mansion cost?" asked Rocket.

Artemis answered, "I don't know, but if it cost more than twelve cents he didn't get his money's worth. That place redefines what it means to be an eyesore."

Kid Flash said, "Between this guy and Luthor, it makes you wonder what all the other reclusive billionaires do with their time."

He looked at Robin and said, "I'm kind of suspicious of Oliver Queen and Bruce Wayne."

Robin coughed loudly.

Zatanna chuckled. "I don't know. I think Bruce Wayne is kind of dreamy."

Robin coughed even louder this time. Desperate to change the subject, he activated a holographic image of the mansion.

"What's our entrance point?"

Aqualad said, "Satellite imaging of the mansion suggest the best approach would be to land on the roof, and enter through a porch on the top of the house. From there we can enter into Richard's quarters and look through his files. Thermal imaging shows that neither he nor anybody else is home. Unfortunately, we were unable to get detailed schematics of the house."

Robin thought that was a bit strange. Surely the Justice Leagues advanced imaging system would be able to map out the mansion, despite the questionable architectural choices.

The Bioship hovered over the house as the heroes dropped onto the roof one at a time. As they crawled along the roof towards the porch, Robin noticed how close Kid Flash and Artemis were keeping to each other. In the last few days the two had been inseparable, eating together, standing near each other in briefings, and sitting next to each other on the Bioship. Clearly their kiss on the Watchtower wasn't a spur of the moment decision, and the two really felt strongly about each other.

As Robin thought about this, he looked at Zatanna, who was gliding across the roof. She caught him completely off guard when she kissed him, and now he couldn't think about her without getting a strange feeling in his stomach. He wasn't sure if he wanted to pursue a relationship with her or not. If Catwoman had taught him one thing, it was that relationships with other costumed fighter could get messy. Besides, he was so busy with Batman, and she still had her complex situation with her father. On the other hand, she was so pretty, and funny, and kind, and she always had something clever to say...

Robin felt an entirely different feeling in his stomach as they entered the house. The room had plastic wrapped furniture, none of which matched each other or really much of anything. The floor had a pattern of black and white squares that played tricks on the eyes. Mannequins, adorned with Neil Richard's outfits, littered the room.

A thickly accented voice yelled, "Oy! Just what do you brats think you're doing here!"

In walked an impossibly thin man wearing a shirt with a Union Jack pattern. He had white pants, candy red hair, and a white ascot around his neck. In his hands he he twirled a cane with a red gemstone at the top. He glared at the Team through thin, square glasses.

"You can't just barge into people's houses uninvited like the Spanish Inquisition! Who are you all supposed to be, anyway?"

Superboy stepped forward and said, "We're people you don't want to mess with."

The man answered, "Is that so? You look like a bunch of spoiled kids who think they're all grown up when they're not. The Light warned me about you lot. No respect for your betters."

Rocket said, "Listen up, Disco Dan. Come quietly before we have to hurt you."

The man laughed, baring yellow crooked teeth that clashed with his otherwise meticulously groomed appearance. "You think that just because you stopped an immortal caveman and a Lord of Chaos you have what it takes to tango with Mad Mod?"

Robin said, "Beating overconfident jerks that refer to themselves in the third person is our specialty."

Mad Mod smiled and said, "Alright, my little duckies. I'll come with you. Just let me use my inhaler."

The bony man squirted a puff from the inhaler in his mouth and laughed.

Robin asked, "You have asthma or something?"

Mad Mod replied, "No, that's just for the gas."

Robin's eyes narrowed behind his domino mask. "What gas?"

Mad Mod said, "Why, the knockout gas I've been pumping into this room since I walked in. I'm gonna teach you all a lesson in manners."

Kid Flash was the first to drop. His accelerated metabolism must have reacted with the gas fastest. One by one, each teen fell to the floor and into unconsciousness. Robin fumbled into his utility belt and pulled out a gas mask. It felt like it weighed a thousand pounds in his hands. His eyes fluttered open and shut. He dropped onto his knees and didn't even notice as the mask slipped out of his hands. He looked up as Mad Mod sauntered towards him, his cane spinning like a fan blade.

Mad Mod whispered,"Nighty night, my little duckies!"

Robin reached out his arm in a futile gesture, struggling to stay awake. His whole body felt like it was made of lead. The world faded out into black.


	2. Chapter 2

As Artemis awoke, her senses kicked into overdrive. Her eyes darted around the room, searching for any useful information. She felt the cold metal of the table she was laying on and the rough plastic binds that strapped her to it. She quickly assessed the situation, trying to come up with the best method of escape.

_Okay,_ she thought_. I'm in some kind of art gallery. What can I use here to get out?_

The room was filled with abstract sculptures and paintings, most centered on aspects of British culture. Among them was a painting of the Beatles wearing powdered wigs, a small statue of Big Ben, and a blue phone box. The most striking piece was a 12 foot statue shaped like a man made up of clockwork gears. It held a staff with a large gear at the end, and was poised in an attack position. The ceiling was brightly lit, with a square of unlit panels directly in Artemis' field of vision.

Mad Mod walked into the gallery, now dresses in a sharp suit with an impossibly skinny black tie. He sauntered across the room, twirling his cane.

"I believe I promised you a lesson in manners. Lesson one: sit back and relax."

The panels in the ceiling slid back to reveal a screen with swirling black and white lines that melded together into a spiral. As soon as Artemis looked at it, she found herself unable to look away. Her eyes felt heavy in their sockets, and her bones became jelly. It took all of her concentration to be able to pull her eyelids shut.

"What did you expect, for me to be hypnotized or something?"

Mad Mod chuckled and leaned in closer to her. "No my duckie, I expect you to die."

He laughed again, and touched the gem on the end of his cane. It glowed, and the clockwork gears made a grinding sound as they slowly came to life. Artemis peaked out of the corner of her eye, still trying to avoid the Hypno-Screen, and saw the statue rise from its display, readying its staff to strike.

Just as the statue was about to strike, Artemis shifted her body weight and tipped the table over. The staff slammed into the rim, tearing through the plastic binds. Artemis didn't hesitate to enjoy her newfound freedom, instead rolling to the side as the statue swung its staff around again. She ran across the gallery, searching for her quiver. She spotted it hanging by a painting of Queen Victoria dressed in a snappy business suit. She picked up the Big Ben sculpture and hurled it at the autonomic statue to buy herself some time.

"Hey!" yelled Mad Mod. "I made that when I was twelve! I won a Blue Peter Badge for it!"

Artemis grabbed her beloved quiver as the statue barreled towards her, its gears clanking with aggressive force. She fired a high-density polyurethane arrow into the robot's chest, clogging all of the gears. The statue sputtered and spasmed for a moment, before falling over and remaining still.

Artemis glared at Mad Mod, who gave a nervous laugh as she aimed an arrow at him. She fired, but he deflected it with his cane with ease. His laugh turned into a genuine one, full of malice and condescension.

"Is that really the best you can do, sweety? I don't know why the Light seemed so, troubled by an overconfident archer."

He tapped the gemstone again, and small metal nozzles extended from the walls.

"I really should be checking in on your friends now. The little brats aren't going to interrogate themselves!"

He pivoted on his heel and ran out of the room. Artemis was about to follow when flames protruded from the nozzles on the wall. Her eyes blurred by heat, she ducked under the flamethrowers and crawled out of the gallery. She looked out into the hallway, and immediately felt a wave of vertigo.

The floor in the halls was patterned with black and white diamonds that contrasted sharply and threw of Artemis' depth perception. The walls were curved and bendy, seeming to twist out into multiple directions. The whole place looked like an optical illusion book she had when she was younger. She regained her balance and tried to contact the rest of the Team telepathically.

_Hello, anyone there? Helloooooooo? _

Nobody answered, meaning M'gann was unconscious. _Or worse._

_Don't think about that. We can handle this guy. What's the worst he can do?_

#####

_This is beyond undignified_, thought Wally.

He was strapped to a bed with thick rubber bands that only stretched no matter how fast he moved. Mad Mod stood in a corner of the bedroom, watching with amusement. He was wearing striped pajamas and a cartoonish nightcap.

"You plan on giving up soon?" he said with a smile.

Wally gritted his teeth. He could feel the bands dig into his costume, leaving painful lines across his body.

"You really have too much energy." Mad Mod switched on a television set. "You should learn to relax."

A hypnotizing black and white swirl appeared on the screen. As Wally looked at it, he felt his body slowly start to slow down. He gradually stopped resisting the bands and rested his head against the pillow.

_Got to fight it. This is what he wants, Wally! Don't give it to him_.

He clamped his eyed shut. Mad Mod stepped over, swirling a pair of headphones in his hands.

"Did you think I went to all this trouble just so you could close your eyes? That isn't going to work." He placed the headphones over Wally's ears. Wally was instantly bombarded with thunderous banging sounds. He felt as if the vibrations were causing his brain to shake. He writhed against the bands in pain. He was familiar with the use of sensory deprivation as an interrogation technique, where one sense is blocked out and another is overloaded. The longer he kept his eyes shut, the worse it would feel. After what could have been minutes or hours Wally opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was a green blur zoom past his face.

He turned his neck and saw Artemis standing in the doorway, reloading another into her bow. It sliced through the rubber bands. Wally's body sprung off of the bed. He sped towards Mad Mod, running circles around the bony man. Mad Mod grinned and poked out his cane. It snagged Wally's foot and sent him straight to the floor. The speedster spun and slid across the room.

Wally stood up, fighting the aches and bruises that now covered most of his body. Mad Mod rubbed the gemstone, causing hidden panels in the walls to flip open. Wally saw the tips of small missiles poke out. Without hesitating, he grabbed Artemis and sped out of the room. Behind him he heard a succession of explosions rock echo through the halls, filling them with smoke and ash. He slowed down in a sitting room and caught his breath.

"There aren't any windows." said Artemis. "There were plenty of them in the room we entered the house in. We're probably underground."

"Great." muttered Wally. "Who knows how big this place is, or how many surprises he has waiting for us."

"Funny you should mention that." A heavily accented voice rang over the intercom. "I've got a couple waiting for you on this very room! Won't you ever learn not to say stuff like that out loud?"

Artemis shot Wally an irritated glance. They turned around as they heard a mechanical whirring. The mannequins in the room spun to face them, and then began advancing with a robotic gait. They stretched out their arms, which split open at the wrist. Out of their wrist sprung the black barrels of small machine guns. Artemis ducked for cover behind a couch as the five robot mannequins filled the room with gunfire.

Wally leapt over the furniture and sped towards two robots, who tried to follow him with their gunfire. Instead they shot two of their compatriots. The bullets tore their blank white faces apart to reveal the electronic and mechanical workings underneath. Wally delivered a hailstorm of punches in rapid succession, pulverizing their chest cavities. The two mannequins fell tithe ground and billowed smoke and sparks from their wounds. Wally felt a cold piece of metal against the back of his neck, poking against the mask.

He tilted his head back to see the last remaining mannequin press its gun to his head. A green arrow stabbed into the mannequins head and poked out the other side. The arm went limp as the head exploded in a shower of sparks.

"Thanks" said Wally.

"You owe me." replied Artemis.

"Now wait just a minute," protested Wally. "I took down four of those things. You only took one."

"Yeah, but I also busted you out. Any way you look at it, I'm still ahead."

Wally rolled his eyes. He actually was glad that this part of their relationship remained intact. The two of them really enjoyed their little arguments and competition, which part of him was afraid might change. He was glad to know that they could still poke fun at each other after they revealed their feelings for each other.

"Could I just, ah, say something?" Wally stammered.

"Spill, Baywatch."

"I just, uh, wanted to say... thanks."

"For what?"

"For rescuing me. And trusting me. And always being there when I need you."

"Don't get mushy on me yet. We're still trapped underground with a deranged British fashion designer with a talent for robotics and a hypnotism fetish."

To Be Continued


	3. Chapter 3

Vandal Savage switched on the view screen. For once he was glad that the scrambling code that the Light used obscured the face of the person on the other line. On the few occasions he had met Neil Richards in person, he had been dressed in awful attire that assaulted the eyes. However, the man was one of the world's experts in mind control, and after the fight on the Watchtower, he needed all the help he could get.

"Anything I can do for you, mate?"chirped Mad Mod's distinct accent.

"The Brain notified me that you had an encounter with the team of sidekicks. Do you have them detained?"

"I've got them locked up tight. I'm subjecting them to my own special brand of education right now."

Savage smiled. "Good. Be careful with them. They are more dangerous than they let on. I can't afford to have them interfering with Phase 2."

"Don't get your knickers in a twist. When I'm through with them they won't know their own names."

"How do you plan to deal with any potential escape attempts?"

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that. A couple have gotten out, but they'll be recaptured faster than you can say 'Geronimo.' I've got the finest in home security. Traps, robots, hypnosis, etc."

"We may choose to send you reinforcements."

"Whatever floats your boat, mate." Mad Mod sounded a bit disinterested.

_Classic mistake_, thought Savage.

Vandal Savage's tone grew sterner. "I'm sure you understand that you know too much for us to let them capture you."

Mad Mod chuckled nervously and hung up.

####

"So what exactly are we going to do? Wander around this place until we find our teammates and hope we don't run into any more traps?" asked Artemis, her tone sounding a bit exasperated.

"When you put it like that it doesn't sound great, but what else can we do?" Wally replied. "I can't wait to leave this place. Even the floor patterns are giving me a headache."

He gestured to the diamond patterns in the floor that garbled depth perception. As he took a step, his foot passed though empty air and his whole body tumbled over an edge. The checkerboard floor created a visual cliff illusion, hiding the fifty foot drop from Wally's eyes until it was too late. Wally slid over the edge, but Artemis grabbed his wrist. She pulled his body up with a heave.

"You could lose some weight" she said with a grunt as she plopped him back on solid ground.

Wally shot her an annoyed glance. "We've been over this before. The speed powers give me a faster metabolism."

"Yeah, that's what they all say."

The intercom cracked to life, and Mad Mod's voice rang out in the hallways. "You really fell for that old trick? If I had known this is what I'd be dealing with, I wouldn't have bothered with the other rubbish. The only reason I used this one was so I could make a "mind the gap" joke, but this takes the fun out of it. You lot don't have a prayer."

Artemis fired a zip line arrow and the both sped across the gap. She said, "This place is a maze. We need some idea of where to look for the others. "

They walked further down the hall, staying on their toes. From across the corner, they heard a series of loud cracks, followed by a thunderous crash.

"That sounded like gunfire." said Wally.

"I know what gunfire sounds like. Come on." said Artemis, grabbing the speedster's wrist.

Nervously, he said, "Wait, you want to run towards the gunfight? What if it's a trick?"

"You got a better idea?" Artemis shot back.

They turned the corner and came to a large pair of mahogany doors. They pressed their ears against the door and listened. They made out the sound of faint, mischievous laughter.

"I'd know that laugh anywhere!" shouted Wally, as he kicked open the doors. The pair stepped inside and saw rows and rows of books on shelves that twisted and turned, forming a labyrinth of books. Artemis took one look at the maze and said, "Well, screw _this_."

She began climbing on top of the shelves, and was followed by Wally. They ran towards the sound of battle. They looked down and saw Robin fighting two robotic suits of armor. Mad Mod was standing off to the side, brandishing a small black pistol. He was wearing a black robe, a pointy black hat, and had wide circular glasses.

"Hold still you little brat!" growled Mad Mod as he struggled to aim the Walther PPK at the teenager. Robin back flipped over a swinging sword and bounced onto one of the shelves, before springing off and flipping onto one of the robots. He slipped two explosive discs between the chinks in its shoulder armor. He slid off the mechanical knight as its torso flamed up behind him.

He pulled out two batarangs and threw them at Mad Mod. The man smiled as he swung his cane upwards, neatly lodging both blades in the ends.

Mad Mod fired repeatedly at Robin as the young acrobat danced out of the line of fire. The books on the shelves burst into tatters and several shots struck the remaining suit of armor, knocking its head off. Mad Mod kept shooting until he heard the bangs turn into clicks. He laughed loudly as he tossed the empty pistol at Robin, striking him in the forehead. Robin dropped to the ground as Mad Mod pranced off.

"Get back here you slimy little freak!" yelled Wally as he ran after him.

Mad Mod grabbed the nearest book, a mammoth volume called _The History of the English Speaking People._ He slammed it across Wally's jaw, sending the speedster careening into a desk. Mad Mod reached for a book on a nearby shelf, which swung around him as he pulled it.

Artemis ran up to the shelf and pulled the same book. When she did, some small sparks discharged from it, and several hundred volts of electricity coursed through her body. She was flung across the room and landed on top of Wally.

"What brings you here, beautiful?" asked Wally, still sounding a little dazed. Artemis almost slapped him before she remembered that they were maybe sort of dating, and his cheesy lines were actually earnest now.

Robin stood up and rubbed the bruise on his forehead. "I don't suppose you two lovebirds have found any of the others yet?"

Wally sighed. "No, not yet. We only just got out ourselves."

"If by we you mean just me." retorted Artemis. "I got myself out. You needed me to rescue you."

Robin rolled his eyes. His was not looking forward to the rest of this mission. This was going to be bad enough without these two working out their aggressive affections for each other. _How could a simple recon mission go so wrong? And of a fashion designer, for crying out loud_!

####

Superboy felt his willpower fading. He and M'gann were chains together on Mad Mod's entertainment center. The room was filled with screens of various sizes, all displaying hypnotizing patterns. Across from M'gann was a lit candle. Right in front of him was a glowing green shard of Kryptonite.

The familiar pain of the rock sunk into every nerve of his body. In addition to the burning sensation in all of his nerves was a gradually increasing soreness. With every passing second he became more and more tired. His urge to break the chains was struggling against his urge to pass out.

"Well at least some of the kids know how to mind their manners." Mad Mod stepped in, now wearing a tweed jacket and a bowtie, with a fez sitting atop the center of his head.

"None of that breaking out, wrecking my home, destroying my property. Unlike your friends, nothing but mindless obedience."

He leaned in closer to Superboy, looking him directly in the eyes. Right now, there was nothing the boy wanted more than the heat vision the shields had granted him.

"That's right, little ducky. Just give into the fatigue. Trust me, free will is overrated."

The last thing Superboy remembered hearing was Mad Mod's laughter as the world faded into a swirling black and white blur.


	4. Chapter 4

Rocket touched her Inertia Belt, feeling a wave of reassurance as her fingers slid over the buckle. Having it back was such a relief, after losing it in Mad Mod's personal gym. The bruises inflicted by the cricket balls he kept launching at her would last for weeks. _Still_, she thought. _Better than what happened to Zatanna. _The magician had been held in the houses indoor swimming pool, her head partially submerged in water so she couldn't speak.

"Hey Kaldur," she asked. "Seeing as you're the leader and all, do you have a plan to get out of here? The interior decorating's giving me a headache."

The Atlantean replied, "Our first priority is to find the others. Considering that we were all exposed to hypnotic technology, each of them is at risk of losing their free will."

Zatanna said, "I might be able to find them, but there is a possibility that we could spring some more traps or something."

"We'll have to risk it." said Aqualad.

Zatanna stretched out her hands. "_Wohs su eht yaw ot eht srehto!"_

Along the dichromatic floor a glowing white line appeared. The trio followed it, taking each step in a slow, cautious movement. They needed to find their teammates, but they couldn't take any chances. The halls seemed to stretch on forever. Rocket couldn't tell if the walls were tilting because she was exhausted and dizzy or if Mad Mod had actually designed them that way. When the reached a corner, the line came to a stop. They carefully peaked around the wall to see who or what was on the other side. A sound of footsteps free closer and closer.

Suddenly, Wally burst around the corner. He leaned back in an attempt to break, but nevertheless careened into Kaldur, bouncing off the Atlantean's chest. "Owww... Oh hey, there you are, we've been looking all over for you."

Artemis said, "At least, we think it was all over. With this place, we could have been going in circles."

Robin looked at the new arrivals, taking in their torn clothing, scars, bruises, and scorch marks. "Let's compare notes." he said.

####

"Well, aren't you two just perfect little students, my duckies."

Mad Mod grinned as he saw the bodies of his captives grow stiff and rigid. He didn't have full control over their minds yet, but he would very shortly.

"I wish more of the brats were like you. Children are actually the reason I'm in this whole mess."

He looked at the two teenagers as if he expected some sort of response. They remained motionless, of course, but he went on with his story anyway.

"I was once one of the most prestigious fashion designers in England, and England was one of the great leaders of culture in the world. Between the Beatles, Dalekmania, and mod style, the sun never set on our empire. The whole world was being dominated by a youthful, counterculture movement. I was more than happy to give them what they wanted, but it only lasted so long."

Mad Mod was now glaring at M'gann and Superboy. They both continued to stare at the screens, no longer aware that he was there. Mad Mod removed his fez in a mournful gesture.

"The British Invasion came to an end. All of the youth became more interested in bloody current culture, MTV and heavy metal." He shuddered at the mention of the latter. "They had no respect for the classics! Just because something is new, doesn't mean it's better! Why wouldn't they understand what's best for them? Why did they have to be fickle little cretins?"

He sighed and shook his head. "Take your teammates, for example. They think they're the blasted Spice Girls or something just because they stopped Savage's little plan. He's got tons of them! That's all he ever goes on about!"

With a tap of his cane the restraints holding the two heroes snapped off. They stood up simultaneously, their bodies completely rigid. "Alright, my duckies! Let's show them how we do things across the pond. We will fight them on the beaches, etc. but first you two need some accessories."

####

Zatanna said, "Alright, now that we're back together, it shouldn't take us long to find Connor and M'gann. I'll cast my spell again to find them."

As they followed the glowing line, Artemis said, "I can't wait to get out of this place. When I get home, the first thing I'm gonna do is read _Interior Decorating for Dummies _and burn the images of this place out of my head."

Rocket asked, "So what's this guy's deal anyway? Why would a fashion designer be working with super villains? And why does his house have more traps and tricks than a _Saw _movie?"

Robin answered, "Apparently his business went sour about 15 years ago, but Scotland Yard has had trouble with him before. He apparently suffered abuse from his classmates at a boarding school and was involved in some violence there. He's intensely patriotic, border lining on terroristic. I don't think they ever thought he was very dangerous, though."

They reached the end of the line and came into an open, spacious room. Superboy and M'gann were standing inside. Their bodies were perfectly still, and their blank eyes were staring at nothing in particular.

"Are they okay?" asked Wally.

Mad Mod stepped in, wearing an old fashioned English policeman's uniform. "They've never been better. Product of good old British education. Top of their class, licensed to kill. You could learn from them, duckies."

He gave a hearty laugh as he switched on a nearby record player. A scratchy version of _Revolution_ by the Beatles filled the air. "You probably won't, though, seeing as they're gonna beat the snot out of you."

He gestured at the young heroes with his cane. Connor let out a vicious growl as he and M'gann charged. Superboy ran straight into Aqualad and Wally, hurling their bodies in opposite directions. Rocket surrounded him in a mauve force field, trapping him as he pounded on the walls fruitlessly. M'gann picked up Rocket with telekinesis and slammed her I to the wall.

With Rocket's concentration broken, Superboy was free to rampage across the room. Artemis and Robin unleashed their full arsenal on him, but the blade discs and arrows only bounced off his hard skin. The room was filled with fire, electricity, ice, and foam from the projectiles. The whole time Mad Mod was joyfully singing out of tune with the music. He danced through the battlefield, untouched by the maelstrom of violence.

M'gann followed Rocket through the air and grabbed her throat. Rocket elbowed her in the jaw, loosening her grip. The two exchanged punches, but M'gann quickly overpowered her by sprouting several arms. Before she could deliver a killing blow, a yellow blur zoomed past her, knocking to the ground.

"Come on, snap out of it! You don't have to follow his orders."

Wally built up speed and charged M'gann again. She reached out her hand and stopped the speedster in his tracks.

"I'm afraid she does, actually" said Mad Mod. "Maybe you don't understand how the whole hypnosis thing works."

Wally looked into M'gann's glowing eyes. Behind her auburn hair, Aqualad jumped into view. He propelled a stream of water at her back, glowing with electric sparks. The martian's body shook and convulsed before become still.

"What happened?" she asked as she rubbed her head.

"Long story" said Wally. "Short version is :mind control. He still has Supey hypnotized."

M'gann peered into her boyfriend's mind. It had been changed. A fog floated through his psyche and reduced it to only the most mechanical functions. She thought, _Was that why my mind was like a few moments ago? _The idea made her shudder.

"Electricity seemed to awaken Miss Martian. Maybe it will work on Superboy as well." announced Kaldur.

"Easier said than done" panted Robin as Superboy kicked him into a table. Wood splinters scratched the coin on his face and arms.

"Do you think he still has a weakness to magic?" asked Zatanna.

"Couldn't hurt" groaned Robin.

Zatanna chanted "_Revoc mih ni latem sniahc!_"

Metal chains appeared and tied him tightly. Connor rolled on the carpet, angry but unable to break free. Robin quickly fired his taser into the back of his neck. Although previously ineffective against the kryptonian, the magic weakened him enough for it to be effective.

"What just happened?" he asked groggily as the chains faded away.

Wally said, "We'll tell you on the way back. Hurry, he's running away!"

Mad Mod sprinted down the hallway, skipping g as he turned around a corner, Wally blazed after him. He turned the corner but rammed his head into a wall meant to look like the end of the hallway. "Oldest trick in the book..." he groaned under his breath.

"Great. Now how are we supposed to find him?" asked Robin to nobody in particular.

"Simple" Suberboy grinned. "We just head up."

He jumped up right through the ceiling and crawled onto the floor above.

A mechanical arm popped out from behind a painting of Margaret Thatcher and punched him in the jaw, pushing him back into the hole he had just made. Over the intercom came the words "Now that's what I call an Iron Lady!" followed by cackling laughter.

"He's just a skinny guy with a cane. Why can't we beat him?" moaned Wally.

To Be Continued...


	5. Chapter 5

Robin had had just about enough of this nonsense. This was supposed to be a simple, routine mission. Catch and interrogate an associate of the Light. How hard could that be? He didn't even have superpowers or anything. Yet here they were, still searching for this guy, and it was almost morning.

"We need some sort of battle plan for when we actually find him."

"Agreed," said Aqualad. "He undoubtedly has a variety of plans and tactics equipped to deal with each of us. We need to cut off his power at the source before he can do any damage. I suspect that there is only one way to do that."

Robin nodded. "His cane. It seems to serve as some sort of remote control for all of the machines and gadgets in this place. We take out the cane, we take him out. He starts getting distressed, and tells us all about his allies. Then we start feeling tressed."

Wally sighed. "What's that even supposed to mean? The opposite of distress is called 'eustress', for your information. And it doesn't really apply here."

"Huh. Learn something new every day".

The intercom gave an electronic screech as it came on, causing Superboy to grunt and grasp his ears in pain.

"Alright my duckies, this has gone on long enough." droned Mad Mod. "You lot are probably getting as sick of this as I am. So I'll tell you what. We have a no-holds-barred final beatdown. You catch me, you get me. Understood?"

"Not really," said Rocket. "We still don't know how to find you! You could be anywhere in this damned house."

She heard the growl of a motor engine echo from down the hallway. The Team dropped to the ground and rolled to the side as a Vespa sped down the hallway. Riding the vehicle was Mad Mod. He was wearing his first outfit again, with the addition of a light coat and some old-fashioned driving goggles. He zoomed past the teens, laughing like a lunatic. The heroes got up and ran after him in hot pursuit.

Wally naturally took the lead. Within a few seconds, the speedster was right next to Mad Mod. He said, "Pull over. You're driving on the wrong side of the road."

Mad mod chuckled and jabbed him in the side with his cane. Wally lost his balance and went crashing into a wall. He was thankful that his shoulder pads took up the brunt of the damage, although his nose had started bleeding again. When the rest of the Team caught up, he coughed and pointed in the direction the Vespa had gone while he caught his breath. The Team followed the motorist into a living room. Mad Mod crashed into a sofa and was flung off the bike.

He got up and shrugged off his coat. He didn't seem to be hurt by the collision at all.

Superboy said, "I don't know what was stupider. Taking time to change outfits in the middle of battle or thinking you could drive a motor scooter in your house. You need to take the whole super villain thing a bit more seriously.

"Oh, don't get your knickers in a twist. The crash was a trick to get you to follow me. I'm right where I want to be."

He reached behind his couch and pulled out a grenade launcher. As Superboy lunged and him, he fired a shot directly at his chest. The explosion tore brought the "S" logo on his shirt and launched Superboy through a wall. Robotic mannequins filled the room, opening their wrists and brandishing the gun barrels inside. Mad Mod shouted, "Give me your best shot, you little brats!"

The air filled Mad Mod and his robots opened fire, filling the air with deadly projectiles. Rocket opened a force while that protected everyone except for Robin, who leapt ahead. He jumped, spun, and rolled through the air, neatly dodging very shot. He liked to think of his fighting style as a cross between circus acrobats and The Matrix. (Which he had watched one afternoon while Bruce was on a business trip. Even though he let his ward fight super villains, Bruce didn't let Dick watch R-rated movies.)

Robin kicked the grenade launcher out of Mad Mod's hands. His skeletal fingers writhed in pain for a few moments, before tightly gripping the cane. Mad Mod swung the cane at Robin, who parried with his escrima sticks. The two exchanged blows ferociously. The villain's proficiency with his weapon surprised Robin, who had to stay on his toes to keep Mad Mod at bay.

Robin was being pushed backwards against the wall as his opponent's attacks grew more and more furious. He did a back flip and bounced off the wall. He stretched out he's leg and struck the cane, snapping it in half. To his surprise, the mannequins kept attacking, and nothing in the house seemed to change. He felt a twinge of panic.

The other heroes were tearing into the mannequins, as the room devolved into total chaos. Wally seemed to be in several places at once, sometimes tricking the robots into shooting each other. Superboy charged through and onslaught of bullets, crushing everything in his path. Artemis was firing arrows in every direction. One stray arrow hit Mad Mod in the shoulder. He didn't even wince as the arrow exploded, blasting off his right arm.

Robin stepped back in shock. His stomach felt queasy until he got a better look at the severed arm. Instead of blood and bone, the end was made of metal and electrical wires. "You're a robot!" he said with surprise.

"No I'm not. It's just a scratch."

Robin rubbed his head in irritation. "Of course you are. You're arm just came off!"

"Oh, that? It's just a flesh wound. Think nothing of it."

Robin sighed. He'd had enough of this. He threw three blade discs, which embedded themselves in Mad Mod's remaining limbs. All that remained was a torso, which collapsed to the ground helplessly. "Fine. I guess the jig is up. May as well introduce you to the rest of us."

On cue, a number of trap doors around the room opened up. Out of them came several androids bearing Mad Mod's likeness. Each of them were dressed in the various outfits they had seen the villain wear throughout the day. They all ran at the heroes and attacked.

Aqualad dodged an android wearing a Gordon Ramsay costume, sidestepping it as it sliced the air with a meat cleaver. "These are a distraction. The real Neil Richards is somewhere underneath this house." he said as he smashed its metal skull."

_Agreed. _M'gann picked up the robot wearing a cop uniform and slammed it into the floor. _ I'm picking up a faint imprint of a human mind from under these trapdoors. _

Rocket surrounded the Team in a blue energy field. Superboy tore up the floor and revealed a tunnel reaching downwards. Hey followed the tunnel and came to a small room lit only by the glow of several computer monitors. A plate of half-eaten fish and chips sat on the floor. It looked like it had been there for days.

A small, wizened of man sat at the computer monitors. He turned around and gave a nervous smile. "Bravo, my duckies. Looks like you've got me. Guess kids these days aren't as thick as they look."

Wally frowned. "Did he just call us fat?"

"No I called you stupid. Which you are, if you think you can take me in. My associates will send an assassin, probably Floyd Lawton, to take me out before I can tell you anything!"

Robin's eyes narrowed. "What are they afraid you would tell us?"

"Well for one thing, we employ an assassin named Floyd Lawton. Probably shouldn't have mentioned that. There's no way they'll let me tell you anything else."

"That's a risk we'll have to take, Gramps." said Superboy as he picked up the old man and carried him over his shoulder.

####

They stepped out of the house and took in some much needed fresh air. The rising sun was giving the clouds a murky pink and orange color. They were all so happy to be out of the house that they allowed themselves a brief moment of rest. Superboy set Richards down in the grass as they waited for the Bioship to return.

A loud crack rang out from over the hill. A dark splotch formed on Richards' sweater as blood seeped out onto the grass. Robin yelled, "Sniper!"

Everyone ducked and Rocket surrounded them with a barrier. After a few moments, no more shots came, and they stood up. "Everyone fan out and look for the shooter." said Aqualad. The Team split up, leaving Neil Richards alone.

_Stupid kids, _he thought. If the shooter had really wanted him dead, the bullet would have been between his eyes. The Light knew full well that he had a metal plate inserted into his shoulder years ago. He reached into his wound and pulled out the bullet. It was snapped somewhat like a capsule. He unscrewed it and a small pill dropped out. He swallowed it and faded into unconsciousness.

####

"The toxicology report on Neil Richards came back." said Batman, pointing at the Cave's hologram projector, which was displaying some charts and a molecular graph. "He swallowed a pill, concealed within the bullet, which has been traced to Bialyan intelligence officers. It is an experimental drug which puts the user into a coma and wipes their memory. When he wakes up, he'll have no memory of his work for the Light."

Robin was furious. "So he's just going to walk free?"

"Hardly. Richards has been suspected of a number of crimes by Scotland Yard independent of the Light. My contact said he had never found so many illegal weapons as when he searched the house. When he wakes up, he's going to jail for a long time."

"So, if nothing else, at least we put a bad guy away." said Superboy.

"Correct." said Batman, his time unchanged. "Sometimes that's all you can ask for. We'll figure out what Vandal Savage and his allies are up to eventually."

The End.


End file.
